ABSTRACT
In the following chapter, urban-social change is examined through the lens of ‘urbanophagy.’ This is a completely new concept derived from the cultural-historical metaphor of anthropophagy. The research topic is the so-called ‘Valongo Complex’ in the old port area of Rio de Janeiro, which has become the focus of public attention due to the transformation process known as Porto Maravilha. The actors and discourses surrounding this ‘Complex’ are the focus of this chapter, as well as the theoretical and historiographical derivation of the term ‘urbanophagy.’ It will be shown that ‘urbanophagic’ processes have always been part of Rio’s historical urban-social history. In particular, Rio’s Afro-Brazilian population has suffered from such urban transformation processes. To this day, they resist the appropriation of their memory within the framework of a supposed ‘racial democracy’ and push not only for more recognition in Brazilian society, but also for a fundamental change in their life structures.
